The Braid

Frost, Helen. 2006. The braid. New York: Frances Foster Books. ISBN 9780374309626

Plot Summary

When their family is evicted from their home in Scotland in the 1850s, teenage sisters, Sarah and Jeannie, are separated. Jeannie emigrates to Canada with her parents and younger siblings, while Jeannie remains in Scotland with her grandmother. Before they part, they braid locks of their hair together, each taking half of the braid so they will never forget one another. Over the next two years, the sisters face hardship and loss, but manage to maintain ties with each other across the ocean.

Critical Analysis

Told through narrative poems that alternate between Sarah and Jeannie, this historical novel tells a sad story while also providing an intriguing glimpse into the lives of immigrants in Canada and life on an isolated Scottish island. “Though seemingly a distant reality from that of today's teens, this gem of a book ultimately tackles age-old issues of teen pregnancy, death, poverty, and first love in a timeless manner.” (School Library Journal)

“Readers will hold their breaths waiting to discover what happens to the sisters while their verbal reservoirs will be restocked with incredible imagery, rich vocabulary and powerful storytelling.” (Kirkus) What may not be immediately apparent is the intricate braided structure of the poems. A note at the end of the book reveals a complex pattern where the last word on each line of one narrative poem is the first word on each line of the following narrative poem, with praise poems woven between in a different pattern. The revelation of this pattern encourages a second reading!

Review Citations

2006. "THE BRAID." Kirkus Reviews 74, no. 19: 1014.

Maza, Jill Heritage. 2006. "The Braid." School Library Journal 52, no. 10: 154.

Stop Pretending: what happened when my big sister went crazy

Sones, Sonya. 1999. Stop pretending: what happened when my big sister went crazy. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060283866

Plot Summary

Cookie, a young teen, reveals the fear, confusion, and sadness she feels when her older sister has a nervous breakdown. Cookie’s sister has a psychotic break at Christmastime, and spends several months in an institution, which throws her entire family into crisis.

Critical Analysis

 

 “Based on Sones' own family experience, this debut novel shows the capacity of poetry to record the personal and translate it into the universal.” (Booklist) Sones gives voice to a mess of emotions and fears about losing her sister to mental illness and the toll it took upon her family. “An unpretentious, accessible book that could provide entry points for a discussion about mental illness-its stigma, its realities, and its affect on family members.” (School Library Journal)

 

Short narrative poems give this verse novel the feel of a journal. Cookie’s fears and emotions are explored day-to-day, showing the gradual transition from crisis to healing.

Review Citation

Cart, Michael. "Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy." Booklist 15 Nov. 1999: 612.

Korbeck, Sharon. 1999. "Grades 5 & Up: Fiction." School Library Journal 45, no. 10: 160.

Persepolis

Satrapi, Marjane. 2003. Persepolis: the story of a childhood. New York: Pantheon. ISBN 0375422307

Plot Summary

An autobiographical tale of a young girl growing up in Iran in the midst of the Islamic Revolution and war with Iraq. Marjane tries to make sense of the confusing messages she gets from school, her parents, and the media, while secretly rebelling against the Islamic strictures of dress and behavior.

 

Critical Analysis

“Persepolis is a moving account, not only of a young girl's coming of age but also of her survival in modern Iran.” (CM)

I believe that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists. This is the message that Satrapi intends to deliver through her account of her childhood in Iran. The black and white drawings show a girl that one can easily identify with, a girl who plays make-believe and puts posters of rock stars on her walls. The details of the successive revolutions and wars can be somewhat confusing, but should pique the reader’s curiosity to find out more about the history of Iran and to question their assumptions about the Iranian people.

“Skillfully presenting a child's view of war and her own shifting ideals, she also shows quotidian life in Tehran and her family's pride and love for their country despite the tumultuous times.” (Publishers Weekly)

Review Citations

Bridle, Jane. 2003. "Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Book)." CM: Canadian Review of Materials 10, no. 2: N.PAG.

Zaleski, Jeff. 2003. "PERSEPOLIS: The Story of a Childhood (Book)." Publishers Weekly 250, no. 28: 58.

33 Things Every Girl Should Know

Bolden, Tonya. 1998. 33 things every girl should know: stories, songs, poems, and smart talk by 33 extraordinary women. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0517709996

Plot Summary

A collection of stories, cartoons, poems, letters, and interviews from 33 different women, each strong and successful in her own way, written to give encouragement to young girls on the threshold of womanhood. These stories encourage girls to dream big and work hard to achieve their goals.

Critical Analysis

Each entry in this collection varies in style and tone. Some are autobiographical, some directly challenge the societal expectations of young women, all are written with the hope of empowering young women to achieve their dreams and follow their hearts.

The topics covered vary greatly and include dealing with one's sexual orientation, overcoming and triumphing despite physical handicaps, combating the pervasive "thin is beautiful" culture, dealing with insensitive people, and just finding oneself. Some selections are heavy-handed and preachy, but others speak with a true voice easily heard by adolescents. (School Library Journal)

The variety of topics, voices, and writing styles mean the book may not appeal to teens as a whole, but everyone should be able to find a particular story or two that will resonate. “Even a cursory reading of this book will provoke discussions between friends, students and teachers, and parents and children.” (Book Report) Brief biographical sketches of the contributors at the end of the book provide more information about the women.

Review Citations

Scalpello, Melanie, and Shelley Glantz. 1998. "Reviews: Non-fiction." Book Report 17, no. 3: 82.

Steinberg, Renee. 1998. "Grades 5 & up: Nonfiction." School Library Journal 44, no. 5: 150.

Bodies From the Ice

Deem, James M. 2008. Bodies from the ice: melting glaciers and the recovery of the past. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618800452

Summary

Bodies From the Ice is an informative book about the discovery, identification, and history of frozen mummified bodies found near the edges of receding glaciers around the world. Learn about a 5,300-year-old iceman found near the Italian-Austrian border, the mummified remains of sacrificed Incan children, and a long-lost mountain explorer who may have been the first person to climb Mount Everest. 

Critical Analysis

“A book that comfortably sits at the intersection of several disciplines: anthropology, archaeology, geography, glaciology, and history.” (Horn Book) This well researched book provides a fascinating look at an intriguing subject. The gruesome and vivid photographs show the remarkable preservation of the bodies and artifacts. Historical paintings provide context for the history of glacial explorations. “Heavily illustrated with historical memorabilia as well as photos of bodies, scenery, artifacts, and rather simplistic maps, this offers a lot to look at and learn about.” (Booklist)  

Covering many different discoveries of bodies the book tends to jump around from place to place and time to time; however, the information provided does build an understanding of the process of frozen mummification and how these bodies resurface after hundreds or thousands of years. Throughout the book the effects of global warming, and the fast-paced recession of the world’s glaciers, are highlighted to bring attention to this issue. Suggested websites and glaciers to visit provide opportunity for further research. Also includes a bibliography, and an index.

Review Citations

Cooper, Ilene. 2008. "Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past." Booklist 105, no. 7: 61. 

Hunt, Jonathan. 2009. "Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past." Horn Book Magazine 85, no. 1: 111.

The Book Thief

Zusak, Markus. 2006. The book thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0375831002

Plot Summary

Death narrates this tale of a young German girl growing up during World War II. Ten-year-old Liesel Meminger first catches Death’s attention when he arrives to take the soul of her little brother and Death witnesses her first book theft. Liesel is on her way to Molching, near Munich, where she will be living with a foster family. Hans Hubermann is a gentle man with eyes “made of kindness, and silver” who teaches Liesel to read and comforts her when she has nightmares. Rosa Hubermann is an acerbic woman with a sharp tongue that hides a generous heart. As Liesel learns to read, she discovers the power of words, and the beauty of books. Liesel begins to steal books, first from a Nazi book burning, and later from the Mayor’s wife. Liesel uses these books to comfort and console her neighbors and friends during air raids, and to comfort the Jewish man hidden in the Hubermann basement.

Critical Analysis

 

The Book Thief is a unique work of Historical Fiction that shows a side of WWII and the Holocaust that is seldom portrayed. Set in a poor neighborhood of a small German town the story is populated by a variety of characters ranging from the fervent Nazi shopkeeper to Hans Hubermann who can’t help but offer kindness to a suffering human being, even when it puts him and his family in danger. The details of the war, the battles won and lost, are kept in the background of the story, but the effects of the war are shown through the increased sense of urgency in outwardly conforming to the Nazi ideal, food shortages, increased air raids, and the lost lives of young soldiers. The tragic end of the story is heartrending because the characters are so easy to identify with, even though they are the “enemy”.

This big, expansive novel is a leisurely working out of fate, of seemingly chance encounters and events that ultimately touch, like dominoes as they collide. The writing is elegant, philosophical and moving. Even at its length, it's a work to read slowly and savor. Beautiful and important. (Kirkus Reviews)

What really sets The Book Thief apart from other books is the author’s use of figurative language. Zusak mixes up sensory words to create new visions. “The sky was like soup, boiling and stirring. In some places, it was burned. There were black crumbs, and pepper, streaked across the redness.” The Book Thief is not a quick or easy read, but the beauty of the words makes it worthwhile. German words and phrases are used and defined throughout the story, providing both informative and amusing details (Arschloch = asshole).

Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward. (School Library Journal)

Review Citation

2006. "THE BOOK THIEF." Kirkus Reviews 74, no. 2: 91.

Goldsmith, Francisca. 2006. "The Book Thief." School Library Journal 52, no. 3: 234.

The Hunger Games

Collins, Suzanne. 2008. The hunger games. Read by Carolyn McCormick. New York: Scholastic Audio Books. ISBN 9780545091022

Plot Summary

In Panem, a country in what remains of North America in the distant future, the Capitol is a place of luxury and indulgence, with a taste for blood sports. Twelve outlying districts supply the Capitol with goods and materials, while the district residents starve. In retribution for a past rebellion, each year a boy and a girl, between the ages of twelve and eighteen, from each district are chosen to participate in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are a nationally broadcast fight to the death, and only one teen will survive. 

Since her father died, sixteen year-old Katniss Everdeen has been sneaking outside the fence that surrounds her district in order to hunt and support her family. When Katniss’ little sister is called as a contestant, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Katniss’s hunting skills make her the first viable contestant from District 12 in decades. In the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta, the boy chosen from District 12, are billed as star-crossed lovers after Peeta admits his infatuation in an interview. In the arena, Katniss struggles with the certain knowledge that Peeta, like every other contestant, will try to kill her in order to survive. After all, the star-crossed love is just an act to attract sponsors and keep the audience interested, right?

Critical Analysis

“The games are so brutal and so real that it is impossible to stop reading until you know who wins the Hunger Games.” (Library Media Connection)

In this dystopian story, Katniss is an emotionally damaged hero fighting against the machinations of the extraordinarily cruel Capitol rulers. The residents of the districts are kept at the brink of starvation, too concerned with basic survival to consider another rebellion. The citizens of the Capitol, in contrast, live in a world of luxury and seem to have no concept of the human cost of their annual sporting event. “I know I’ll never marry, never risk bringing a child into the world. Because if there’s one thing being a victor doesn’t guarantee, it’s your children’s safety. My kids’ names would go right into the reaping balls with everyone else’s.” The hopelessness of the situation in the districts is excruciating. Only the actions of a select few characters hint at the possibility that a rebellion could be simmering beneath the surface. Katniss survives the games, and manages to save Peeta too, but she is still in danger at the end of the book.

“Carolyn McCormick ably voices the action-packed sequences and Katniss's every fear and strength shines through, along with her doomed growing attraction to one of her fellow Tributes.” (School Library Journal)

Review Citations

Cox Clark, Ruth. 2008. "The Hunger Games." Library Media Connection 27, no. 3: 77.

Osborne, Charli. 2009. "The Hunger Games." School Library Journal 55, no. 4: 58.

Uglies

Westerfeld, Scott. 2006. Uglies. Read by Carine Montbertrand. New York: Recorded Books. ISBN 9781428113367

Plot Summary

Tally Youngblood lives in a city where everyone undergoes an operation at age sixteen to eliminate all of their blemishes and imperfections, to make themselves into the evolutionary ideal of beauty. Like most fifteen year-old uglies, Tally is eagerly awaiting her sixteenth birthday, the day she will be made pretty and move to New Pretty Town where there is a party every night. A couple of months before her birthday, after her older friends have already become pretty, Tally meets Shay and they quickly become close friends. Shay has the same birthday as Tally, but she is not eager to be made pretty. Shay likes herself, imperfections and all. 

“A couple of months and we’ll be stuck inside the river. Pretty and boring. … Doing what you’re supposed to do is always boring. I can’t imagine anything worse than being required to have fun.” 

A few days before their birthday, Shay tells Tally  that she is running away to a place called the Smoke, a secret camp where uglies remain ugly. Shay asks Tally to come with her, but Tally is appalled at the idea. Shay leaves Tally cryptic directions to the Smoke, just in case she changes her mind.

On her birthday, instead of receiving her operation, Tally is taken to Special Circumstances, a secret security force made up of cruel pretties. The leader of the cruel pretties tells Tally that she will not receive her operation; she will remain ugly forever, unless she follows Shay’s directions to the Smoke in order to activate a tracking device that will lead the Specials to the Smoke. Tally reluctantly agrees, but upon arrival at the Smoke, she is reluctant to betray her friend and finds herself drawn to the work and lifestyle of the Smokies. Tally begins to fall in love with David, and learns from his parents that the operation changes more than looks, it also changes a pretty’s brain. Tally decides to destroy the tracking device, unwittingly activating it and bringing the destruction of the Smoke. Tally and David are the only Smokies to escape, and they set out to rescue the captives from Special Circumstances.

Critical Analysis

 

Uglies begins as an apparent utopian society where no one has to worry about being discriminated against based on looks, where everyone is attractive and healthy. It certainly seems ideal to Tally. The first definite clue that something is rotten is Tally’s initial encounter with the specials, pretties designed to look cold, intimidating, and cruel. Eventually it is revealed that there is a sinister purpose behind the operation that every ugly covets. “Teens will sink their teeth into the provocative questions about invasive technology, image-obsessed society, and the ethical quandaries of a mole-turned-ally.” (Booklist)

Tally is a reluctant hero; she is happy on her path to prettiness and does not question it. However, once she is forced to become a mole, she discovers fulfillment that she was unaware she was lacking. Tally soon finds herself torn, unwilling to betray the Smokies and afraid to reveal her reasons for coming to the Smoke. When Tally accidentally brings about the destruction of the Smoke, and the capture of her friends and David’s parents, she vows to make it right by rescuing them. “Tally inflicts betrayal after betrayal, which dominates the theme for the midsection; by the end, the nature of this dystopia is front and center and Tally--trying to set things right--takes a stunning leap of faith.” (Kirkus) When Tally is too late to rescue Shay and David’s father, she decides that she must sacrifice herself and undergo the operation in order to help David’s mom test a cure for the brain damage.

Review Citation

2005. "UGLIES." Kirkus Reviews 73, no. 4: 237.

Mattson, Jennifer. 2005. "Uglies (Book)." Booklist 101, no. 14: 1287.

Tithe

Black, Holly. 2002. Tithe: a modern faerie tale. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689849249

Plot Summary

Sixteen year-old Kaye Fierch comes home to the Jersey shore after being on the road with her mother, a mostly unsuccessful singer, for six years. Kaye is nervous about how she will fit in with her old school friends who remember her as the weird girl who believes in faeries. Kaye is also eager to see her faerie friends Gristle, Spike, and Lutie-loo again. After leaving a party where she unwittingly enchants her best friend’s boyfriend, Kaye discovers a wounded faerie knight in the woods. Kaye helps the knight, Roiben, and gains a terrible power over him. Soon after, Kaye is drawn further into the faerie world than she could have ever imagined. Kaye is to be the tithe, a sacrifice that will bind the faeries of land to the Unseelie court. A pawn in a game of power between two faerie queens, Kaye’s only hope is to bind Roiben to her with love, not compulsion.

Critical Analysis

“A labyrinthine plot with Goth sensibility makes this a luscious treat for fans of urban fantasy and romantic horror.” (Kirkus Reviews)

 “Were I you, I would stay clear of the Folk in the future. We are a capricious people, with little regard for mortals” warns the faerie knight. Drawing upon traditional faerie lore, Tithe is a dark fantasy with a flawed heroine who is not what she appears to be. When Kaye discovers that she is in fact a pixie changeling, she is relieved to have an explanation for all of the things that have marked her as different and weird throughout her life. As Kaye comes to understand the rules and the cruel inhuman nature of the faerie world, she struggles with the conflict between her mischievous nature and the humanity that she has acquired.

“It’s the riveting descriptions of the faerie world—a bacchanalian hell described in remarkable detail—that will most capture readers. Dark, edgy, beautifully written, and compulsively readable.” (Booklist)

Review Citations

Engberg, Gillian. 2003. "Tithe (Book)." Booklist 99, no. 12: 1064.

2002. "TITHE (Book)." Kirkus Reviews 70, no. 17: 1303.

Impossible

Werlin, Nancy. 2008. Impossible. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 9780803730021

Plot Summary

From the sting of my curse she can never be free

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

Unless she unravels my riddlings three

She will be a true love of mine

Seventeen-year-old Lucy Scarborough is unaware of the curse that was laid upon the women in her family by an Elfin Knight. At age eighteen, Lucy will give birth to a daughter and go insane, just like her mother did. For generations each Scarborough girl has grown up alone, abandoned by her mad mother, with no idea of her fate except for a version of the Scarborough Faire ballad that details the three impossible tasks she must perform to escape the curse.

On the night of her junior prom, Lucy’s date rapes her and then dies in an automobile accident. A month later, Lucy finds out that she is pregnant, and the curse is set in motion. Unlike the women before her, Lucy has a family, the loving foster parents who took her pregnant mother in and raised Lucy as their own. Lucy has Zach, the boy next door, whose love for Lucy creates a magic of its own. Lucy also has a note from her mother, a note that she finds too late to escape the curse completely but which provides her the chance to break the curse forever.

Critical Analysis

 

Impossible is a fantasy with nail biting suspense and a riddle that seems impossible to solve without the wealth of information available on the internet. “Modern logic and methodology mesh splendidly with fairy lore; if emergency contraception won't break the curse, then maybe duct tape will.” (Kirkus)  

“This unique story flows smoothly and evenly, and the well-drawn characters and subtle hints of magic early on allow readers to enter willingly into the world of fantasy.” (School Library Journal) Due to her mother's madness, Lucy has spent a lifetime watching for any sign of it in herself; her gradual acceptance of the reality of the magical curse is believable because she and her family are initially very skeptical and practical. The undeniable clues to the existence of the curse are revealed to Lucy and her family one by one, allowing them time to accept this new magical reality. 

Although Impossible deals with date rape, teenage pregnancy and marriage, it is not a problem novel. Lucy takes emergency contraception after the rape, but it fails. Once she realizes that she is pregnant, she decides to keep the baby and does not waver in her decision. The love between Lucy and Zach seems destined even without the added incentives of impending parenthood and madness. Occasional detailed explanations of some aspects of pregnancy are the only reminder that the book’s intended audience may need additional facts about pregnancy in general.

Review Citation

Montgomery, Jennifer D. 2008. "Impossible." School Library Journal 54, no. 9: 194-196.

2008. "IMPOSSIBLE." Kirkus Reviews 76, no. 15: 231.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Crutcher, Chris. 2003. Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York: Harper Tempest. ISBN 9780060094898

Plot Summary

Eric “Moby” Calhoune and Sarah Byrnes have been best friends for years. Their friendship developed because of a shared case of the “terminal uglies”, he was obese and she was horribly scarred. When Eric discovers a love of swimming, he tries to stay fat in order to reassure Sarah Byrnes that their friendship is more than skin deep.

In their senior year of high school, Sarah Byrnes is admitted into a psychiatric hospital in an apparent catatonic state. Eric is desperate to figure out why and how to help her, but the answers will put both of them in terrible danger.

Critical Analysis

Chris Crutcher tackles several issues in Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, child abuse, abortion, suicide and religious intolerance. From the beginning of the story, the reader realizes that Sarah Byrnes’ father is cruel, but the horrific depths of the abuse are revealed slowly as the story unfolds. The issues of abortion and religious intolerance are handled within the setting of a Contemporary American Thought class led by Eric’s favorite teacher and swim coach, Ms. Lemry. The juxtaposition of all of these themes and issues is a bit disjointed at times, however “the self-deprecating humor of Moby's narrative and the high drama of the classroom scenes (some of the best of the book) keep the reader involved in the compelling issues that drive the plot to its conclusion.” (Book Report)

The detailed descriptions of the competitive swim practices serve to illustrate the strength and confidence that Eric has gained as a result of swimming. The romance between Eric and Jody (the former girlfriend of Eric’s swim team and CAT class rival, Mark) is sweet and endearing, but not an integral part of the story. The real meat of the story is in the relationship between Eric and Sarah Byrnes who “save one another on many levels throughout this breathtakingly complex and harrowing story of emotional heroism and growth.” (School Library Journal) Sarah Byrnes’ vicious humor and wit, and Eric’s unfaltering friendship are skillfully written.

Unfortunately, the ending does not do justice to the characters or the rest of the story. The romance between Eric and Jody fades to an afterthought soon after it begins. The newspaper article layout of the story of Sarah Byrnes’ adoption by Ms. Lemry is hokey. Mr. Byrnes is caught and brought to justice, as he should be, but not by Eric or the police. It takes Eric’s mom’s mild mannered accountant boyfriend who turns out to be a Special Forces Vietnam vet to lie in wait and capture Mr. Byrnes in his own home.

Review Citations

Hofmann, Mary. 2005. "Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes." School Library Journal 51, no. 11: 59.

Makowski, Marilyn. 1993. "Reviews: Fiction." Book Report 12, no. 1: 39.

Bloody Jack

Meyer, L. A.. 2007. Bloody Jack: being an account of the curious adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, ship’s boy. Read by Katherine Kellgren. New Jersey: Listen & Live Audio, Inc. ISBN 9781593160944

Plot Summary

Orphaned on the streets of London when her parents died of the plague, Mary Faber survives by joining a gang of street urchins. When the leader of the gang is killed, Mary decides to get off the streets by going to sea on the HMS Dolphin as a ship’s boy. Once on ship, “Jacky” is determined to keep up the deception of being a boy for as long as possible. In between battling pirates, Jacky has to contend with bullies, unexpected changes in her body, the attentions of a pedophile, a blossoming romance with a fellow ship’s boy named Jaimy, and a shipwreck.

Critical Analysis

L.A. Meyer’s Mary “Jacky” Faber is a wonderfully endearing character. From the very beginning of the story readers will feel an emotional connection with Mary as the bodies of her parents and sister are carted away and she is put out on the street. The detailed account of the hardships of her life on the streets lends credibility to her sudden decision to seek her fortunes on the Dolphin, even though she is sure she will be put overboard as soon as they discover that she is not a boy. Jacky’s ignorance of what is in store for her as a woman, “Nothing else matters now, because I am dying… Two days ago I started to bleed. Down there.”, and her efforts to disguise herself provide humor throughout the story.

“The first-person narrative shines, and a wealth of historical research is seamlessly knitted into the material.” (Kirkus) Jacky’s running commentary of her day to day activities provide an abundance of historical information, although, at times the descriptions of the various parts of the ship almost threaten to interrupt the flow of the story. “This is perfect historical fiction and in audiobook format the sounds of the period and place ring true and clear.” (School Library Journal)

 

“Kellgren’s flexible British accent easily captures the seafaring atmosphere and Jacky’s emotions… excellently reflecting the varied nationalities and personalities onboard.” (Booklist) The performance of the story is outstanding. Not only does she bring the accents of the characters to life, she fills them with emotion, leaving the listener quivering. This story was written to be read aloud.

Review Citations

2002. "BLOODY JACK (Book)." Kirkus Reviews 70, no. 15: 1137.

Goldsmith, Francisca. 2007. "Bloody Jack." School Library Journal 53, no. 11: 70.

Spencer Holley, Pam. 2008. "Bloody Jack." Booklist 104, no. 9/10: 108.